


A Howling Start To The Day

by nhasablog



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Tickling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-23
Updated: 2015-06-23
Packaged: 2018-04-05 10:42:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,023
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4176846
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nhasablog/pseuds/nhasablog
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sirius is feeling down after receiving a howler from his family. James tries to cheer him up.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Howling Start To The Day

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted on my tumblr nhasablog.tumblr.com. I've posted +200 tickle fics on there, so check it out if you want to see more!

Even if James had been sitting on the opposite side of the Great Hall, he still wouldn’t be physically able to mistake the shriek that rung loudly that early Saturday morning.

However, considering that he was sitting right next to the source of the disturbance, he just stared straight ahead, pretending he didn’t notice what was happening. This was a common occurrence, and one that James would never be quite sure how to react to.

Sirius followed his steps and continued shoving down his breakfast as if nothing was happening. As if his mother’s voice wasn’t screaming in his face from the howler he’d just received.

Honestly, this happened so often that no one really batted an eye, except maybe the first years who’d only witnessed this a couple of times so far, but even they could tell that this wasn’t a big deal. No one treated it as a big deal. They all knew that the Black family saw their Gryffindor son as a disappointment. That was no secret.

What they didn’t know, however, was the fact that, once in a while, it actually did affect Sirius. Especially if he was feeling particularly fragile. And James knew that it was one of those mornings for Sirius, so once the shouting had ended and the howler was a memory, Sirius excused himself and left the table, leaving James, Remus and Peter to exchange worried looks.

“Who’s gonna take care of it?” Remus mumbled, shooting warning looks to the pupils around them who started whispering among themselves.

“Let me try,” James offered, standing up. They found out ages ago that when Sirius was upset it was better to not crowd him, so they usually took turns to console him.

“I can take over if he’s not cheerful by the time your Quidditch practice starts,” Peter told him.

James just shot him a smile and was on his way.

He found Sirius in the dormitory, hiding under his bed covers. James had barely even entered the room before a mop of long hair popped into view, looking straight at him.

“How do I cancel my weekly subscription of parental disappointment?”

“Well,” James started, walking up to him and sitting down beside him. “That’s a tricky one. I’ve heard you’re only allowed to do that once you’re 17.”

“That’s a stupid rule.”

“It is,” James agreed, leaning against the wall. “But you only have a year left.”

“That’s 52 howlers.”

“No. They usually don’t send you any when you’re at my place during the holidays. Less than 52.”

“Oh, lovely.”

They both gave hollow laughs, because what else was there to do about the situation? At least Sirius had his friends to rely on.

“I’ve been thinking,” James said after a moment of silent pondering.

“That’s a new one.”

“Shut it. Anyway, I was just thinking of the fact that you haven’t smiled today.”

“That’s surprisingly observant. Should I be scared?”

“My days depend on how many times you give a genuine smile, actually. You didn’t know?”

“And here I’ve been walking around thinking you had feelings for Evans. Great coverup.”

“Thank you. So.” James turned to face Sirius fully. “How will we go about bringing that real smile to the surface?”

Sirius pretended to think. “You know, I think that daily subscription makes exceptions on occasional Saturdays.”

“Oh, you do, huh? Well, that’s rude of them, seeing as it’s supposed to be a daily subscription.”

“I don’t make the rules.”

“Thank god for that.”

“Hey!”

“Face it, Padfoot, if you made the rules they would change every day to fit your current mood.”

“True.”

“Back to the smile thing. Here’s what we could do. Either you cheer up by yourself or I will have to give you a little push.”

“And how exactly are you gonna do that?”

“Correction. I’ll have to give you a little pinch.”

James shoved his hand under the covers and squeezed Sirius’ side, causing him to jump. “Hey!”

“Hey, yourself,” James replied with a grin. “Are you going to cheer up now?”

“Sod off.”

“You hurt me, Sirius.”

“You hurt my pride, James.”

James snorted, reaching out again to give Sirius’ ribs a poke through the covers.

“Stop it,” Sirius told him, batting his hand away. “You know I don’t like that.”

“I know that’s a lie.” He pulled the covers off and prodded at Sirius’s sides, making him giggle.

“Prohongs!”

“Yes?” James drew out the words, fluttering his eyelashes innocently.

Sirius didn’t reply, just kept laughing as James tickled him, his hands flailing around uselessly.

“Stohop,” he said after a while, his face slightly pink. James had kept it light, so to not make him laugh his head off immediately.

“Oh, but I’ve only just started.”

He grabbed his friend’s wrists with one hand and pinned them above his head, his other hand landing on Sirius’ tummy, his fingers wiggling teasingly over his sensitive skin. Sirius was in hysterics almost instantly.

“Nohohoho!” he squealed, thrashing around as much as he was able to. “Dohohon’t!”

“But Padfoot, my friend, you need this.”

Sirius snorted as he laughed, something James knew he hated, but everyone else found it incredibly endearing. He decided not to comment on it this time.

“I’m dying!” Sirius choked out. “Dying, James!”

“You’re fine.” James switched spots and fluttered his fingers over Sirius’ neck instead. “Stop being dramatic.”

Sirius shrieked, scrunching up his shoulders to try to get James to stop. “Gahaha!”

“How very eloquent of you.”

“Shut uhuhup!”

James grinned. “Well, that’s not very nice. You give me no choice. I’m gonna have to go for the thighs.”

“Nohoho, nohohot the thihihighs!”

“Yes. The thighs.”

James reached back to squeeze at one of Sirius’ thighs, making him jerk with every squeeze.

“Jahahahahames!”

“Yes?”

“Stohohop it!”

“Why?”

“Because it tihihickles!”

“Oh, it does? Why didn’t you just say so?” James backed off, releasing Sirius’ hands. “I would’ve stopped if I had known.”

“You’re so full of it,” Sirius managed to gasp out.

James barked out a laugh before heaving himself off of him. “Whatever. Do you feel better now, at least?”

“Better about what?”

“That’s the spirit.”


End file.
